The Legend of Zelda: Memories
by Celeste Fox
Summary: Centuries after the Shadow Invasion, the war against Twilight, The Princess of Destiny and Chosen Hero come together again in a much different lifetime. Disenfranchised and unaware of their true purpose, they are thrown together under extreme circumstances, forced on a journey to recover crucial memories to not only save Hyrule from an ancient evil, but also from its own downfall.
1. A Legend Unending

In times of peace, the kingdom of Hyrule found itself prosperous. To neighboring lands it was a golden one, a nation to be envied. The economy was high, resources were allocated with finesse, and crime was low. Spearheading these golden times were often queens of the everlasting royal family. Some of the greatest queens in history, many holding the family's traditional name: Zelda.

But darkness had a way of pervading this nation like no other. Throughout history, time and time again the kingdom, and the leading women of the country, often were forced to take actions to battle this evil. All Hyrulians knew the legend, never a name, but the tale of the young boy. A boy, barely a man, garbed in green, wielding a holy sword and the blessing of the goddess, and thus he would come to destroy the evil with the help and guidance from the Princess of Destiny.

In a war against the Twilight itself, and the corrupted creatures within, this hero and princess fought that same evil that plagued the nation for eternity. He who cursed the descendants of the land at its birth would come to fight the two over and over, and this time he found a path through the very mirror of the Light Kingdom. In the end, when the kingdom was once again on the verge of destruction, it was saved. Despite all that was lost, that recurring evil was thought to have been obliterated, defeated for the final time. The goddesses gift faded from him, marking his mortality.

And within time, it surely once again felt like no evil could befall them. The nation was brought from the brink, built back up from rubble into something wonderful. Truly, a land blessed by the goddesses. As tradition, with each passing generation, a woman sat at the throne, typically hailing the name of the legendary queen that ran through their bloodline.

However, centuries after the dark lord lay dying on the battlefield, lost from grace, a new queen was born. Like many others, she carried the name Zelda. She had no Triforce or memories, no telltale signs that she was connected with the goddesses. However, when the time neared for darkness to loom over her people once more, the visions began. At night, as she slept, the goddesses made contact with her, plagued her with images of her people's demise. They also gave her another gift, granting her with memories of her past lives. She was able to recall a boy garbed in green. A boy she once knew well, throughout multiple lives.

She attempted to prepare for this evil, expecting that along the way he would show again to aid her in fulfilling their destiny. When the dark lord came, he took her by surprise and diverted from his usual warpath. He hid his true face from others, gaining the love and admiration of her people. When time came to take what he desired, he struck in the most cunning of ways.

As the princess' family and friends—anyone rightfully suitable for the throne—all tragically fell died around her, she was framed under the conspiracy of these murders. A rebellion began. Standing at the forefront, manipulating the people, was none other than the incarnate of the dark lord. He was young, brilliant, and lovable in the eyes of a broken kingdom. He would be a great leader. Through the calm of this facade, he was able to shatter Hyrule's devotion to the nation's oldest family, their royal line and heritage that had started it all.

The princess was executed publicly. The hero never showed. The end to the royal bloodline left a silence across the nation that was nearly impermeable. Nearly.

With persuasive speeches on the corruption of the monarchy, the new leader changed the entirety of the country. He formed a republic in place of the abolished government. At its birth, it seemed that the country would once again thrive.

Hyrule never did rise back into a golden age, and at its greatest peak all seemed to forget that times even better had existed. With all evidence of the royal family burned, all monuments defaced, the nation was able to forget their origins and saviors. The dark lord passed on, but the damage he'd done remained. A decline in the prosperity of Hyrule was gradual over time. Throughout the ruling of the most recent appointed, Hyrule had met a new low, tapered with corruption teeming at its edges.

All had been forgotten of a golden kingdom and their beautiful queens. Even the hero garbed in green was mere ashes in the wind. With one exception.

In a small southern village of Ordon, separate but still one with Hyrule, the legends were remembered. Children were told the tales as bedtime stories, kept novels on their bookshelves, and mentioned them in idle conversation. The one place history could be preserved through blurry lines between fairytales and truth. One family in particular kept the memory alive well, rooted deep in secrets they could never share, generations of holding the greatest of tales never to be told.

Their descent began with the arrival of Faron's people. The last century found the forest mysteriously purged with horrors come the night. Monsters walked in the dark, hunting out the peaceful humans that had called the forest home for centuries prior. They fled to Ordon, where the light kept the monsters at bay. The village was forced to expand geologically to hold the new families. A gate was placed for when the grotesque creatures came too close. The village was at a loss. Financially they were weak, and they had lost many of their strongest men to the monsters. However, their suffering would not be over.

Freedom was torn away from these people when they were overtaken by an outside ruling. The peaceful Ordonians found themselves threatened and enslaved. Forced to work the land for another, tied to servitude, and grounded by strict laws placed above their heads. Ordon became a prison for its people. Like livestock, they were marked as servants to Ordon's master. The screams of children, men, and women as the emblem was burned into their skin echoed clearly throughout the province.

No one came to save them. Illegal as it would seem to be, the Hyrulian government never stepped in, claiming intervention on such a territory would be an abuse of Hyrule's power and resources. Ordon had been cast aside.

Eighty years passed like this. Many of the oldest residents passed on, but a few still live that remember the story as clear as present day. Servitude controls them, but they have learned to live with the suffering. As a people, they have grown closer than ever. They suffer now, but the legends our still told on whispered breathes. Hope still breeds light in the young.

A blessing is coming.


	2. Chapter One: Ordon

Back pressed against a cold stone wall, gasping for air as quietly as her lungs would allow... that's how Zelda found herself on her third night in Hyrule Castle Town. The cacophony of hurried stomps on the stone pavers sent a lasting jolt of anxiety through her. She held her breath as they stormed passed her shadowed cover, her eyes trained on a soldier as shouts between them were muffled by her racing pulse.

This was not how she had imagined her first visit to the capital, not the way she had daydreamed about it whilst neglecting her duties on a hot summer day in the fields. She wouldn't bother asking herself useless questions, such as how she had gotten here. She knew the answer to that all too clearly to deny responsibility for the current complication that was her life. More importantly, she needed to locate the whereabouts of what, or rather who, had caused her simple life to become so convoluted.

She slipped deeper into the darkness of the side street. The swordsmen in question had moved on deeper into the city, but the maiden feared revealing herself just yet. Keeping to the shadows was her safest bet. Traveling the alleyways would be his first choice, and so therefore it was hers. Zelda was certain she would find him in these shadows, and then they could escape together, but only from the city. Never from the shadows; from now on, the shadows would be their only salvation...

It wasn't always this way, and certainly Zelda's greatest adventure hadn't started like this. When did they ever? No, her tale started months ago, before she knew anything at all about this world or any other. Before, all this was a distant impossible future, and now her old way of life had been buried and unreachable. How cruel, and yet incredibly compelling, these forces of fate could be...

"Hmm," humming a nearly forgotten tune softly whilst sinking her toes into the sands, Zelda watched as the spring water lapped over the tops of her feet. This was the life. An early autumn breeze barely combated the vigilant summer sun. She let her shawl catch in the wind, raising it up like sprouting wings. The air never smelt so sweet. How wonderful this moment would have been if she knew it could last. Turning her back on the spring, she eyed up her handsome companion. His gaze was averted as he leaned down for a refreshing taste of holy water. Her horse, and love of her life.

"Oh, Baily!" She gushed. His ears twitched, but he ignored his rider. She smiled and stepped up to his side. Her fingers grazed his neck before combing through his dark mane. "How long has it been since I was able to come out here with you? Almost two months now. Just looking at you I can tell the difference that fresh water makes."

He raised his head to stare back at her, and in response she leaned her cheek against his warm shoulder as his sigh blew passed her face. This caused her to grin, and step back to rub his snout before skipping back into the spring's shallows. Gazing up at the fading sunlight, the blonde felt the calm fading similarly within her.

"Time to go."

Dusk was upon them as they sauntered up to the village gates. Pausing there, she glanced sideways at the twin swordsmen guarding the entrance. Their stoic expressions seemed icy, as always. The term 'mercenary' seemed to fit these guards better.

The path through Ordon was long but familiar, right up to the stables. When Zelda caught sight of Malina leaving, the two young women shared a smile. After leaving Baily in his stall, she was left alone, only her thoughts accompanying her on the walk home. As she passed by her childhood friend's home, she caught a view, through their window, of the family sitting down for dinner.

Cole met her eye and waved with enthusiasm. In response to her old friend's glee, she responded with an eye roll and blowing a raspberry. In that glimpse of the family moment she had invaded on, she also caught his sister's eye. To her, Zelda had smiled, and her attempt to return it was evident before the older woman went back to staring at her full plate. Their mother and uncle were present, backs turned to the window. The look on the sister's sunken, beaten expression as both her hands protectively cradled her unborn child was enough. She had seen enough. She was quick to keep walking.

It was just Zelda's luck to get caught in the start of a downpour before she even crossed the stream that divided Ordon. Hurrying for cover, the girl stomped through puddles leading to her doorway. Once inside, she began the hassle of warming up. Setting a fire in the living room's fireplace, tossing her wet clothes in the doorway, and starting a warm bath. By the time she was dressed for bed, hair still dripping from a bun, she was feeling toasty and rather sleepy. Her night was over, and the morning would call for an early start to work.

As she snuggled up under her quilt, the girl's dull gaze settled on the empty bed across from her. Those sheets that had been made for years, and a mattress that had become unaccustomed to the weight of a sleeping body for as much time. She shut her eyes from the sight.

" _Grandma!" I pounced, flopping onto her bed as we both were jostled by the movement._

 _She laughed in surprise, "Oh, my little princess, aren't you full of energy tonight!"_

" _Yes, yes!" I shouted, grinning from ear to ear. Looking up at her through my bangs, I shook the bed as vigorously as my body would allow. "I want to hear one of your stories tonight!"_

" _Oho, do you?" She chuckled, brushing my bangs from my eyes, "You know, Zelda, I think it's time for a haircut."_

" _Nope!" I exclaimed, shaking my head._

" _No?" Her voice filled with disbelief, "Do you not want to see the world around you?"_

" _No, grandma, it's not that. I want to grow my hair out like mommy's. In the picture!" I pointed at the one on the nightstand. My grandmother had said that my papa had drawn it before I was born. Proof of my mom's existence. Grandma had told me before that I looked just like her, and that my hair, like hers, was as light as straw. She said that the day the picture was drawn, her hair had shone bright in the southern sunlight, like mine. But mine was short. I wanted it to be exactly like mom's._

" _Zelda, you would look lovely with long hair. Just like your mother. But you must keep it out of your face in the meantime, so I can see those beautiful eyes of yours," she said, tilting my face up to look at her, "so we will only trim your bangs, okay?"_

 _I nodded, and then rolled over onto my back. "Okay, so will you tell me a story now?"_

" _Sure," she agreed, smiling softly. She motioned for me to get into bed._

" _I will tell you an old legend, about a heroic princess," she began, and I grinned with excitement. "This princess was not more than a few years older than you, and like you, she was strong-willed and intelligent for her age. She was so wise, that the goddesses spoke to her through her dreams. This is how she learned her kingdom was in grave danger. To save her people, the goddesses showed her a boy. She was to teach this boy a secret she protected. That secret was her lullaby," grandma hummed the tune softly. I narrowed my eyes at the familiarity._

" _Hey, grandma, why is her secret lullaby my lullaby?" I questioned, suspicious of the truth in her tale._

 _Instead, she laughed heartily, "That's because it's the same. Your lullaby and hers. It's a song with very powerful magic."_

" _Yeah, right!"_

 _She smiled despite my disbelief, "Oh, it's true, my sweet girl. This lullaby is very old, and was passed down to each princess through generations." She continued with the story about the legend of this princess. Somewhere between the parts of her adventure, I felt myself unable to stay awake._

Zelda's lids opened with a drowsiness, but shebriefly recalled the dream of her grandmother as it slipped away. Laying there, she stared up at the ceiling, lost in thoughts that clung to the memory. Instead, her mind flooded with more memories of her grandmother. With a constricted throat, she bit back unwanted tears.

It was time to get up.

Lunging off the bed, she twisted into a standing position. Leaving the mess of sheets behind, the maiden went to work getting ready for the day. Pulling on trousers, boots, and anything else she would need to combat the menial labor under the sun. She grabbed a leather strap off her nightstand, tying back long blonde locks. As she did so, she was reminded of her dream. Her hair was much longer now than it was then, falling just above her hips. The hue had lightened with age, appearing almost silver in the right light. Her grandma, she was sure, would have loved it.

To fight off any hunger for the morning, she grabbed a chunk of bread, engulfing it swiftly while downing some water. She was out the door in record time. The sun had still yet to rise.

Zelda caught Cole shuffling towards the fields on her way.

"Hey!"

He jumped in surprise as she slapped him square on the back.

"Oh, shit, you scared me, Zel."

A smirk lit up her face. "Good, maybe that removed the sleep from those teary eyes."

His hands flew to his eyes to rub away said sleep, "Shuddap."

"Slurring your words is a good sign of non-awakeness. Or that you're drunk."

"Maybe I'm drunk then," he declared.

She laughed, about to disagree when the vision of his broken sister captured her thoughts. With a newly fallen expression, she studied his. "Maybe," was all she returned contemplatively. He stared back in scrutiny.

Without explanation, the girl jumped right in, "How's your sister?" She continued walking without his answer. He fell into pace beside his best friend, newfound tension clear in his body.

"Well, Cal isn't home, so there's your answer."

"I know, I just..." her brain swam to find the right words, "he could be back in the next few days, you know?"

He scoffed, scratching at his cheek anxiously. Zelda took it upon herself to notice all the red marks of irritation lining his jaw and neck. He'd been doing a lot nervous scratching lately.

"He won't." His words pulled her from her trained attention. "I know. You know. Belle knows it better than anyone. He's three weeks late and he won't be back for his baby to be born."

The words unsaid rang louder than any other. He may never be back. They all thought it, but not a soul had the guts or heart to say it aloud. Except for his wife's expression. The debilitated look in Belle's eyes was clearer than any words.

"I'd say try to be positive, but I'd be a hypocrite, so...as her brother, you need to keep telling her those things, okay?" Their eyes met with the most weighted shame. Nothing they said or did could ever make up for such a grand loss, and when the time came to face it, Belle, too, might be lost to everyone.

"Goddess damned!" Cole suddenly became very animated, kicking the dirt up in a fury, "This is all Dominus' fault! That monster had this all planned."

"Cole, he's not that intelligent. But...I do agree. He went out of his way to watch your family suffer. He always has." She ground her teeth to hold back the rage boiling over for that usurper.

Sensing her darkening mood, Cole wrapped an arm around her shoulders with hope that it was a comforting gesture.

If only a coup d'etat was possible for villagers like them. Zelda was aware, however, that they were not warriors, and Dominus had an army, small as it was. Ordonians were slaves, an oppressed nation without a leader to unite them. Zelda had wished hundreds of times for that, for a savior, a man cloaked in green to come save them from evil. Just as the legends went.

"You know, he doesn't have to wear green," Cole's words, aligned so closely with her thoughts, jolting her from her reverie.

"What?"

"Well, I was just thinking about how we need someone to take charge, lead an overthrow. A hero, like in the legends. But green, or even a holy sword, doesn't have to be required. Maybe just a strong leader and a pitchfork." He looked down at her then, grinning from ear to ear.

She halted, bringing him to a stop. Staring him down straight, she whispered, "Don't ever say something like that out loud again, you got it? You're not a hero, I'm not a hero. We are not heroes. Let's not get killed for things we aren't." They shared a long moment of silence, eyes caught in each other's own heaviness.

Without warning, Zelda was engulfed by Cole's warm embrace. Hugging was not a part of their usual routine. Despite Cole being the affectionate sort, Zelda had long since shied away from such touches. However, in that moment, where Zelda felt like she may just drown in helplessness, she accepted the embrace. As if his arms were the only possible force keeping her from spiraling, she returned the hug and gripped him tight as if he would float away without her hold.

They stayed like that for a long moment, emotions Zelda often repressed emerging, and she buried her face in Cole's shoulder to hide them.

She then felt Cole press his face into her hair, "It's going to be okay. Somehow."

Zelda laughed despite herself, "You don't have to tell me that."

"Hey, what are you two love birds doing? Look at this, Hal, a real pair of desperate lovers."

They pushed each other away with disgust.

"Yuck! You're gross and sweaty," she shouted to save face.

"You smell like the goats!" He bellowed in unison. They both whipped around to glare at the intruder. If they weren't so embarrassed from getting caught in such a heartfelt display of emotions, the two would have found their synced reactions amusing.

Zelda's eyes fell on Dex first, before meeting Halonds sly gaze.

"I'd ask what you two are doing here, but-" She started.

"But you already know the answer. We're coming to work. Just like you two are supposed to be." Rather than scolding, she could tell Dex was getting a kick out of mocking them.

"Shut up, Dex. We were on our way," Cole rose to take the bait.

"Yes, I could see you were on your way to something," Dex said suggestively, and Halonds and him shared a howling laugh as they approached. They both turned red from the presumption as Zelda glared heatedly at the ginger.

"Tell you what, Cole," he said as he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Zelda's like my sister. I'll allow it, though, since I like you. Just don't give me reason to break your legs."

"Give it a rest, Dex. Your jokes are ridiculous," She said with some venom.

Their bickering continued into the morning as they jumped into a full day's work on the crops. Ordon mostly consisted of wheat and corn fields, but during the months between sweltering summers and cooler autumns, the village was known for growing the highest quality pumpkins in all of Hyrule. They were the bread winner for Ordon, and took special care in the coming months to ensure the most profit. The rest of the villagers were out in the heat, working hard to tend to the ending rotation, and readying the soil for the pre-winter seeding where necessary. Hidden among the crops was the majority of Ordon, overseen by a couple guards that cut through the fields ever so often to keep an eye on the workers.

Everyone in Ordon worked, but only able-bodied villagers farmed. Most woman that weren't head of household worked with textiles and processing crops into actual products that could be sold to the rest of the village. An even smaller group worked with livestock, such as Malina with horses, and Cal with the goats. There were no shops in town owned by villagers. Dominus owned the handful there was, and they were only there to give the façade of an actual economy. All the rupees they earned went back into rent and products, all profits going straight back into Dominus' pockets. Twice a year, a couple of highly monitored merchants from the Traveling Market were allowed inside Ordon's gates. If one held onto their rupees right throughout the year, they could probably afford to buy something exotic. Anything else an Ordonian wanted, they would have to make themselves, if they could even find the means.

Zelda's grandma had once told her that while Ordon may seem like a prison, which it was, the overall quality of life here had increased since the take-over almost a century before. She was in her fairer years, her early twenties, when Ordon was seized by an unmarked military force. The nobleman that led the force was the father of their current owner. He was a human like most Ordonians, and his lifespan was as short and cruel as he was. Dominus, his son, took over ruling the province at a young age. Apparently, he didn't have the same stomach for violence as his father, and so while he was indeed cruel, Dominus' reign over the province had softened the previously harsh conditions. Her grandmother had told Zelda all this shortly before she was executed on the man's orders.

Zelda's stomach lurched at the memory, and she forced herself to breathe, focusing on her hands and the burning heat on her back as she worked. Anything to block out the images.

Ordonians had more freedoms than they did before, but they were never allowed to leave Ordon Province, unless for authorized business. They were free to go out into Faron Province, but the only routable path into Hyrule was gated and guarded during the day. Dominus was also supposedly more lenient with patrols than his father, hiring less and for fewer hours, and he publicly stated it was a show of faith in "his" people to which he did so. That was a lie. It was because he knew that no Ordonian had ever escaped. If they tried, certainly the brand on their hand would give them away, or left in the woods alone at night, they would be prey to the overwhelming population of monsters. Even if they could make it to the Faron gate…owning weapons was obviously not permitted, and save a stolen pitchfork, there was no way to defend against an onslaught of ravenous beasts.

Zelda thought back to a secret her grandmother had shown her in their home. A hidden basement, housing various family heirlooms that had survived the take-over. The only sword that she knew of was hidden there. It had crossed her mind, on her worst days, to arm herself and go straight for Dominus' head. However, she always caught herself before heading down that dark path. She was neither a warrior, nor a hero.

By sunset all parties were sweaty and exhausted as they set up to head home.

"Hey, Zel, why don't you come over to my place for dinner tonight. We always have enough for an extra person since Cal's been gone, and it would be nice to have a warm body to fill that seat once in a while."

"I don't know, Cole. I've got a lot of things to do when I get home," Zelda said, thinking back to his sister. As harsh as it sounded, she couldn't do it, being in that woman's company. It made the situation too real.

"Oh, come on! What do you have to do? Your house barely gets dirty with you being out all the time, Baily gets taken care of by Malina. What else do you have to do? I know you haven't been eating! You're all skin and bones."

"Oh?" Dex's baritone voice approached them from behind, "And how did you figure that out? Earlier, with that intimate proximity of yours?" Zelda caught his wide grin. He was milking it for all it's worth, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I eat," she then replied, ignoring all the unnecessary comments. Cole's embarrassment dissipated quickly as he turned back to her.

"Yeah, right. C'mon, just one night to fatten you up a bit."

She was about to reply before she was cut off by Dex.

"I hate to get in the middle, but I already promised Dena I would abduct Zelda for dinner at our place tonight. So, she'll need to get a rain check on that date."

"Since when are you my keeper?" She remarked with incredulity.

"Since more people than just your boyfriend have noticed you aren't eating. Specifically, when Dena notices. Also, you don't have a choice. I said I was abducting you, didn't I?"

"Well, I won't go down without a fight," Zelda remarked.

Cole laughed, "Maybe if you had been eating right, you'd have a chance at taking down Dex."

"Hey, brawns don't always win the fight." They both eyed up Dex's particularly large frame, then glanced at each other.

"Yes, well not even brains can win if they've been deprived." Cole pointed out as Dex smirked and flexed like a fool.

"You might be right," she admitted begrudgingly, "okay, let's go, Dex." He laughed loudly, and pushed passed the two.

Upon arrival at the twins' small home, Zelda could smell the mouthwatering scent of Dena's cooking.

"Dena, I brought the prisoner," her brother declared as they stepped through the door. The fairer twin stood at the counter, chopping ingredients.

"Well, this prisoner is about to have the best prison meal of her life."

Zelda laughed, shaking her head at the antics of these siblings. "All right, Dena, you got me right where you want me."

She smiled to herself as she began to set the table.

"I'm going to go clean up," the blonde announced, heading back to the bathroom. After washing her face and arms, Zelda reemerged to see a set table for three. Her stomach grumbled in response. But Dex and Dena were nowhere to be found. There really wasn't anywhere else the two could be. The house consisted of two connected rooms, the front kitchen, and the back bedrooms. Zelda stood in the latter, shifting her gaze across the small living space until she caught a glimpse of Dena's fiery red hair in the window. The twins stood outside the front door, appearing to be in a heated conversation. Zelda stepped closer, hearing the low argument taking place.

"She's almost eighteen, Dena."

"She's still a child, and you know it. Her declining concern for her own health proves that she isn't stable." The blonde blanched, now aware they were arguing about her.

"Sister, Zel has been taking care of herself for a long time now. You know she's just going through rough times."

"Yes!" Dena yelled in a hot whisper, to which the girl in question cringed, "She's going through rough times that will never end. They will be the death of her, and you know it. How long can she keep this up on her own?" The weight of her words crushed the girl. Had Dena always seen her this way?

"She has to go through it in her own way. Besides, even if she did move in with us, what happens then? Surely, she wouldn't be happy living in our cramped home. We can barely support ourselves right now."

"Dex," Zelda heard Dena's voice quiver, "we know the impact of losing both parents. She deals with that and so much more. I can't believe she's even made it this far alone in that home. She's going to drown at some point if we don't help her. It's only starting."

She felt hot shame course through her as her cheeks burned with the guilt. Had she been so unobservant to not realize how her actions were affecting others? Meanwhile, Zelda also felt anger, too. All this time, dealing and caring for her own wellbeing, and Dena didn't bother taking that into account? Did others think of her as some helpless child, too?

"Let's stop this now. We can discuss this later when she isn't a couple shut doors away."

The silence and then shuffling of feet startled her into running towards the bathroom. As the front door clicked open, the bathroom door clicked shut.

"Hey, what were you guys doing?" Zelda said with convincingly genuine surprise. Seven years of working on composure paid off.

"Oh, nothing, just me and Dex fighting over him doing his own laundry. The usual."

Such a bad liar.

"Hah," she smirked, "well, good luck with that. I'm starved, and that smells really good, so skip the arguing and let's eat," Zelda said with enthusiasm as she pulled out a chair.

"You didn't hear any of it, right? It's so embarrassing when you hear our stupid arguments," Dena said, as Dex grunted in agreement.

"No," Zelda said, "but I've heard enough of them to know how they go." Shaking her head in hopes to end the discussion, she grabbed her fork and waited for them to be seated.

"Yeah, you're right." Dena looked extremely uneasy as they began eating. Zelda guessed it was because Dena knew she'd be upset with the argument's true topic. She wasn't wrong.

After an awkwardly quiet dinner, Dex walked the younger girl home despite her protests. She waved him goodbye, adorning an irked expression, before heading inside. The solace of the empty house was a gift, as well as a burden. A gift of silence, and space to breathe free of others' pressuring. A burden, however, on Zelda's mind to openly ponder all that today's events had offered.

She was angry at Dena for her lack of faith. More so she was angry at the older woman's selflessness, which would one day be the destruction of her in this place. Mostly though, Zelda was angry at herself for making Dena worry.

As she crawled into bed, the blonde let her mind linger on all the grief that had led to this moment. All the death Ordon had seen had left scars too deep. The village's history had certainly formed who Zelda was presently. However, her greatest concern was how it would continue to shape not just her, but those she cared about. Lying silently in bed, staring intensely into space, she sent a silent prayer to the skies for a liberator to come, despite believing no one would listen.


	3. Chapter Two: A Familiar Stranger

"So, what's wrong?" Cole inquired lightly.

Zelda sat at the bank of the spring, pressing her feet lightly into the sand.

"Nothing at all, really," she lied. The girl was still thinking deeply about Dena's words from last night.

"Liar! I see that brooding expression of yours. You've carried it around all day." He came to her side and took a seat.

"Cole, brooding is my default expression. You know this."

"Yes, but asking me to go with you to Ordon Spring is not." He eyed her suspiciously.

"Perhaps," was all she could respond with.

"So, I'm right? Something's wrong."

"Perhaps," she repeated, with more emphasis.

"Are you going to tell me, or will I have to fight it out of you?"

"Perhaps," she said while hiding some amusement from her game, then turned a slight glare on him, "or perhaps not. You know I hate this."

"Hate what? Talking? Admitting you have problems? Yes, I know, but you have to talk to someone."

She sighed, not willing to fight him because he was right. She did want to talk to someone for once, and it just so happened to be him.

"Cole, if I tell you, this stays between us."

"I know. But wait, you're actually going to talk to me? As in, _share your feelings_?"

"Not if you keep getting on my nerves," she said, raising an eyebrow at the teen.

"Okay, all right, I'll shut up then," he assured, seeming genuinely shocked by Zelda's behavior.

She said nothing for a moment, only watching the water tumble down into the calm of the spring, in constant turbulence.

"Last night," she began, "it was brought to my attention that Dena is attempting to convince Dex to have me live with them."

"That's kind of strange. Everyone knows they are tight for rupees. Did they tell you why?"

"They didn't tell me anything. I overheard them talking. But I know why. Dena thinks I'm incapable of living on my own."

"That makes no sense. You've been doing just that for the last seven years."

"Yes, well, she sees my recent lapses as a sign that I'm declining. She thinks I'll off myself, I think."

"That's insane, you know. Although I do agree with her that your bad habits are concerning..."

She met his eye then. He stared back, a crease forming between his brow

"Zel, you don't eat right most days, I know you haven't been sleeping well, and you work yourself sore every day. At some point, you will collapse."

How did he know she wasn't sleeping? She hadn't mention that, or the ephemeral dreams that plagued her recent nights.

"You look surprised that I know," he said slyly. "Don't be. We've been together since we were kids. I know when something is off with you."

Zelda shook her head in response, "Never mind that. My bad habits and health problems should not reflect my ability to go on living. I'm nowhere near that point. I'm just busy doing the opposite, so why does Dena weigh on herself with such thoughts?"

"Because she loves you, and," he paused, seeming cautious about his next words. I dreaded them. "And because you've been through an incredible loss, Zelda. Everyone knows this, and feels concern for you."

"Incredible loss?" She barked, hiding the pain this topic awakened in her, "All of Ordon suffers incredible loss. Constantly. Does everyone see me as a basket case, a weak mind to tiptoe around, to pity? Because I'm the only orphan in Ordon?"

Cole cringed at her harsh tone, and she felt guilt for her own cruelty, but Zelda couldn't find it in her to apologize in that moment.

"No, Zel. It's true that we all suffer, and no one pities you. No one important, anyway. I just-we just don't want you to suffer anymore than you have. I'm sure that's what is motivating Dena."

Overcome with bottled up emotion she was no longer equipped to handle, Zelda placed her head in her hands and pulled her quaking knees to her chest.

"I hate when people think about me," she whispered, muffled behind her palms. Suddenly, Zelda felt fingers prying the digits from her face. She leered up at Cole, hoping he wouldn't noticed the tears welling in her eyes.

"Zelda," he murmured, placing a finger under her chin and pulling the girl's face closer. With a reassuring gaze, he stared into her eyes with overwhelming intent.

"Zelda, you are not a ghost. You did not die with your family in these woods. We will always have you in mind, because we care about you. Those who love you will never stop thinking of you. I will never stop thinking about you." In a blink of an eye, Cole had become dangerously serious.

Zelda was unable to predict the swift change in Cole's expression. How concern morphed into something more. Something like desire.

She found herself caught up in that look, trying to decipher an emotion she didn't fully understand. So lost was she in this struggle for comprehension that she didn't pull away even as he grew closer. Only once his lips touched hers, the lightest of connections, was when she pulled away abruptly.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she stared awe struck at her childhood friend's unbearable expression. There was hurt there, from the swift rejection, but underneath was still a heat she was not used to seeing on his face. He didn't move closer, and so she didn't bother retreating more. Instead, she spent the longest second of her life staring into his eyes with the most bewildered expression. Blinking rapidly, she licked her lips and broke the contact to stare at the ground instead.

She was trying to form words, or at the very least a coherent thought. Cole had completely side swiped her with this gesture. The most shocking realization, however, was that she regretted pulling away. Her cheeks flushed with heat, and she was grasping for words as her bright blue eyes shifted back up to Cole's. Except his had situated on her lap.

"I'm sorry. That was..." he seemed to be struggling with the words, too, refusing to look her in the eye as he had before.

Without another fumbling thought to stop her, Zelda reached out hesitantly for Cole's face. Her fingers grazed his cheek, and forced him to look at her. Her hand stilled as her heart beat furiously against her rib cage, and yet she still managed to lean forward and place her lips on his. Flustered, she barely moved, her nervous breath brushing over his face. Like a spark had erupted in Cole, he reached for Zelda. One hand mirroring hers, cupping the blonde's cheek, while the other brought her closer to him. While Cole deepened the kiss, Zelda's uncertain lips followed his. Her body shook, her breath growing heavy and mingling with his. Finally, with concern for Zelda's health in mind, Cole broke apart from the kiss. Despite it being a lip lock of the more innocent variety, he feared that he might break the more inexperienced girl in his arms. His eyes opened to see her face so close to his, strands of golden locks framing a very rare expression on the girl's face.

She refused to open her eyes, still chasing her own breath. He could feel the heat radiating off her flushed cheeks. Her fingers tightened their grip where she had wound them into the fabric of his shirt, and she bit her lower lip anxiously. Everything about her seemed to tell of a war raging inside her, and the display made Cole's face flush a deeper shade of red. This was a Zelda he had never seen before, and his excitement pushed him to lean in again. Their noses touched, lips barely brushing each other. Zelda's eyes flicked open for a moment, and he caught anticipation in the blue hue.

They kissed once more, growing comfortable with the unfamiliar touch. Zelda found her fingertips grazing his face and neck, learning the slopes and lengths, the softness and warmth of him that she'd never experienced. She felt as if she was meeting Cole all over again, in a much more intimate way.

They broke apart again, both now out of breath. She still shook from the strangeness of sensations she didn't know existed with Cole. She couldn't find her voice to speak, but Cole seemed to find his first.

"Zelda, you have to know...I have always loved you as my best friend, but I started to realize that my feelings are more than just that." He met her gaze with that same intensity. She felt a jolt course through her. Did she feel the same way? Yesterday she would have denied it vehemently, however, she had no other way to explain why she had reacted to him with such...enthusiasm. She knew that if he closed the gap between them again that she wouldn't reject him. That certainty is what scared her.

"Cole..."

"Don't. I know you, so you don't have to explain. To be honest, I wasn't sure how to wrap my head around this for a while. You don't have to respond," a coy grin lit up his expression, "your kiss seemed eager enough, so I'll stay hopeful while I wait for you."

The heat in Zelda's face was relentless, and she found herself stuck between keeping him close and getting far, far away.

"Cole," her voice came out unsteadily, "thank you. I just...I might need some time by myself to sort out my thoughts."

He stood then, hands out, "Say no more. I'll let you go back to your normal routine of moping," he joked. Stepping away, he paused in thought. "I stand by what I said, and I don't need an answer right away, but...can I see you later?"

Zelda suppressed a smile, and nodded slightly.

"Sunset, then? Our spot by the stream?" She could tell he was barely containing his excitement. Cole was actually somewhat cute…

"Mm," she murmured in agreement with another nod.

"Okay. Okay, great. I'll see you then!" She smiled, turning to watch his retreating figure over her shoulder. That giddiness he was feeling must have been contagious, because she was starting to feel it, too.

Zelda found her head swirling with emotion, left racing from what had just occurred. Staring blankly into the sparkling waters did little to settle her thoughts, and so she knew where she needed to go. Stretching as she stood, Zelda turned her eyes towards the sky. There was still plenty of daylight to make the trip through the woods safely. With blushing cheeks and a nod, she set off towards Faron Province.

The trek through the familiar woods left plenty of time to think. Her mind kept returning to the memory of Cole's kiss, which left her face warm. If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't completely sure how she felt about it. Although she had never really seen Cole as a lover, he was the closest friend she had. Zelda had never dwelled on the idea of romance, given the life she had led up until now.

Until now, she had only ever seen herself in the picture. The girl had spent so many years on her own that she'd always assumed it would be that way forever. Sure, she'd had moments of loneliness before, but she'd never thought of an alternative to that life. Being in love, and being loved in return...this was a completely new concept to Zelda.

So she found herself mulling over the most important question. Did she truly return Cole's feelings, or had she been swept up in the moment of unfamiliar experiences?

Suddenly her heart was conflicted. The oddest ache had settled there. Fingers entwined into the shirt fabric above her chest, and she gnawed at her lip in thought. It was the sound of snoring that broke her from her reverie. Startled, she glanced around to find the source of the noise. She had managed to make her way to the northern woods, and she stood just outside the clearing that exited the province. The culprit of the snoring was a mercenary, who had left his station at the towering gate across the way to settle down on a shady patch of grass.

Zelda blinked in surprise. Typically there was two men placed to guard the only routable exit, as they were the means of keeping unwanted people out, and all of the Ordonians in. Now there was one, and he appeared to be out of commission. Had Dominus suddenly become more trusting of his indentured servants? Or was the rupee-hoarding churl somehow getting cheaper?

The glint of silver caught her eye as the guard rolled over. The gate key hung precariously from his belt. Almost begging to be swiped…

Zelda swallowed hard, glancing from the key to the gate. If she could just get that key…

But no. He was armed, and she was in no position to defend against a blade. Besides, she had the rest of Ordon she'd be leaving behind. Escape was never truly an option. There was no escape from life, and this one had been branded into her very skin. With a creeping anxiety taking over, she hurried onward into the cave ahead.

The walk was uneventful, as was usual of these woods during the day. It was only the darkness of night that brought danger to these parts, one that she had thankfully never seen face to face. The deep woods at midday were serenely beautiful. Life was clearly present, but hushed among the billowing trees and soft song of the wind. The deeper into the woods one went, the more evident the song became. Somehow, still, even as far into Faron as she was, the song was barely tangible, and was quiet enough to dismiss as the imagination.

Zelda knew in her heart that the forest was alive, and singing to those willing to listen. She'd traversed them enough to understand the echo, and noticed the difference in silence as she stepped into the bright sunlight swarming the clearing.

Glancing around at the familiar sight of the decrepit forest temple, which overlooked the clearing from its point above, isolated by a long overgrown, gnarled, and insurmountable path. A headstone of the old, the first of this graveyard's many dead. Her eyes swept across the aged stones as she passed them, hundreds of them, grouped first by families and social status, then rapidly becoming more erratically placed as the burials became more frequent and rushed. Her gaze fell upon the same graves they always did.

Mary, Faronian. Beloved mother and wife. Kendall, Ordonian, beloved son. A blank, cold stone. A family, four names listed on one.

Among the mass of graves, she instinctually weaved through the markers, heading for two less weathered than all the rest. She paused before them, and then dropped to the grass and crossed her legs beneath her.

"Mother, father," she addressed the tombstone on the right, before her attention shifted to the left, "grandma." Zelda paused for one beat, breathing deeply with a leering glance at the ground.

"I'm doing well," she lied, then smiled, "which is, as you all know, what I feel obligated to say. You know how I'm really doing. I wish that I could show you a daughter, a granddaughter, that is doing more than just surviving, but I can't. I used to come here often, and talk of grandiose ideas of a Zelda that would live and thrive for more than this, but..." she glanced off towards the clear blue sky in the distance, "but that hope seems to be dying. This place is suffocating. I...don't belong here. I can feel it in my bones. It's not just the point of my ears anymore, grandma. I know that now."

"Ordon aches, but they still live. The little Belle I used to play with, the one you knew, is grown. She's married and very much with child. Cal is old now, and still wrangling goats. The village lives and loves and cherishes the little freedoms they've been given. And yet I'm here, still a flightless bird, captive to a cage that shrinks with every passing year. I can't pretend or adapt like the rest. I know I'm not meant for this, and yet I have nothing else. It's like...I was born to the wrong life." Gnawing on her lip, she sighed, "and while it may sound ignorant, I know this isn't what I was meant to do."

"I want to play in these moonlit woods without fear like our Faronian neighbors had done hundreds of years ago, and seen the castle across the fields that my great grandmother had described to all of you. I want experience true freedom, to choose my course in life. I'm not content. I'm not alive. I'm just barely faking it."

She paused, seeming to think on her last words, "Not to say that Dena was right! I don't plan to stop surviving. I just can't imagine moving forward like this. It's like I can no longer imagine my future here. Even Cole..." Her cheeks flushed with heat at the thought of her childhood friend.

"I care for him-for all the people of Ordon, but even that doesn't set my heart at ease. I feel more restless with each passing day. I sleep only to wake feeling like I've fought a war. My dreams...it's all black, as if they never happened, but I know I've dreamt them all. I can't recall them, but yet I wake every morning with a sense of urgency, something important tugging at my mind." Her brow had furrowed deeply during her monologue, as she spilled every hidden thought to the deceased.

"Do you think I'm mad?" She fell silent as if waiting for one of them to answer. When no response came, her shoulders sagged and she fell into a lasting silence.

Her desire to flee, the feeling that she didn't belong, the nagging sense that something wasn't right. These all had consumed her mind more and more over the past months. Now, her mind already in shambles, Cole had whipped up a whole other storm inside her. Her childhood friend. Her best friend. Had he always loved her? Perhaps these emotions were as new to him as they were to her. Even so, he had lit a spark in her now. She was smart enough to know what she felt, but damaged enough to know to hide it. On the other hand, she may not know that at all. Certainly, there was a part of her now that didn't want to dash these feelings. This part told her to return to Ordon, and approach this relationship with enthusiasm. After all, maybe Cole was all she needed to stop surviving and start living.

"Yes, I'm mad!" She officially declared, standing in a hurry.

"Well, I promised to embrace this madness at sunset with a familiar friend. I think it's time I go do that." She smiled softly, glancing from one grave to the next, "Mother, father, grandma...from now on, I'll give living an honest chance."

Leaving the cemetery, she felt a sense of confidence wash over her, and knew there was truth in her words. The walk back through the words was uneventful, but the sun was setting faster than she'd anticipated. The shadows which evening cast across her path instilled an urgency in her footsteps, and anxiety in her heart. Nothing good ever came from shadows.

She'd had never seen dusk come so fast, like it was rapidly chasing away the light, and devouring what was left. Panic set in as her mind conjured up images of what monsters lurked, waiting to devour her.

Ordon's gates would be closing soon, and that thought left a pit in her stomach. The faster she walked, the quicker twilight crept upon the woods. She reached Faron Spring soon after, but night was at the threshold. Zelda hadn't noticed her irregular breaths until then, and she wasn't sure if it was nerves or the hasty walk. She stopped for a moment, enjoying the natural glow the spring offered. Although she had little faith left in the goddesses, the spring was strangely calming. It felt safe.

Breathing deeply, she shook her head and turned away from the bubbling waters, ready to traverse the rest of the woods as swiftly as possible. Her boot hit the ground just as a blinding flash of light burst through the clearing, reflecting on the rock walls encasing it. She flinched, and then jumped at the sound of a splash.

Her mind raced while her body froze. A monster...it had found her. She was going to die. She was going to die just as her family had died, and her life would be in vain. Her seventeen years of existence would mean nothing, and she'd be buried, forgotten, with the rest of this forest's victims.

She wasn't sure when she had begun to hyperventilate, but when she dropped to the ground, her body shivering so violently that it could no longer hold her weight, she gasped for breath. Maybe the monster would leave her be, lose interest in something not willing to fight or run.

No. That would mean a sense of intelligence, something bloodlust filled abominations didn't have. So why, frozen in such a state, was she not dead yet? With wide, nearly crazed eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself to try and stop the jitters with force. Erratic breathing left her lightheaded, and she attempted to take deep, quiet inhales. Finally, she calmed herself enough to work up the nerve and face whatever it was. Slowly, she turned to look over her shoulder.

Nothing. She let out a heavy breath, twisting to face the spring as her heart still hammered away in her chest but her mind was awash with relief. She blinked away hysterical tears, but as she did so, her unfocused gaze zeroed in on something floating in the spring.

The girl's heart leapt into her throat before she could identify the human shape. With hesitation, she gathered herself and stood on shaky legs, slowly approaching the spring.

As she neared the water, she identified it as a male body from the strong back, faced down in the water at the center of the spring. Her breath hitched at the realization that he was completely still, save the waves that rocked him.

Shedding the trepidation from before, she took off into a sprint, splashing into the shallows. As she hit deeper waters, she switched from frantically waddling to full on swimming. However, she could tell as soon as she reached the body that he was lifeless. Grabbing his shoulder, a shudder wracked her body at how cold he was to the touch, despite the warm waters of the spring. Gripping his frame, she clumsily turned him over.

Shock coursed through her upon seeing the face. The most powerful feeling of déjà vu she'd ever experienced hit her. It nearly knocked the wind out of her as she was entranced by the familiar fair face of a man—no, a boy, who appeared to be not much older than she. His face had a somewhat feminine beauty, with a narrow jaw and high cheekbones. Light blond lashes cast shadows over those peaks, with thick damp locks clinging to his face. He was pale, unnaturally so, and his lips were almost blue. Fear gripped her once more as she realized he was dead, and something inside her snapped. She couldn't let him go.

Sliding her arms under his shoulders, she pulled him to her and began to drag him towards shore. It was an awkward swim, but she was successful in dragging him to shallow water. Breathing heavily, she knelt at his side and placed her fingers getting his neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing.

Leaning down, she placed an ear to his chest, and shut her eyes tight as she focused. Nothing. Still nothing.

As a last-ditch effort, she readied her arms to attempt resuscitation. She was shaking, hard. As her hands got into position, she tried to breathe. She had never had to do this before, and it had been a long time since she learned.

A warm droplet hit the back of her hands, and then another. She was crying. Almost sobbing, actually. She threw her head back, sucking in gasps of air to try and steady herself. He was dying. No, he was dead. She couldn't save him, she couldn't save anyone.

"D-don't—" she sucked in a breath, "d-die!" She sobbed, glancing back down at his eerily still face. It was not peaceful. There was a tightness to his expression that she had never imagined on a dead person, with a slight pinch between his brows. Zelda tried to regain her composure, feeling the panic grow.

She needed to be calm. She was either going to have to leave this body, or try to revive him, but she couldn't sit there all night. She willed herself to be released from whatever treacherous power had taken over her body and mind, and steeled herself through her sobs and violent shaking, then straightened her arms with almost two much force, preparing to pump his heart.

A sputtering cough broke her concentration, and her head whipped around to stare down at the man. He lurched, chest pressing against her hands as he choked up water, and then fell back to the sandy shore. A small mark on the back of his left hand glowed dully, but Zelda eyes were only on his. A sharp inhale later, and the man was breathing on his own.

Her eyes wider than a full moon, she pressed her hand against his neck and felt a strong pulse.

"Sir! Sir!" She exclaimed, expecting him to open his eyes and try to speak. He didn't. His face relaxed, and it seemed that some color had already returned to his cheeks. He was shivering, but he never once opened his eyes.

Yet he was alive. By some miracle, his heart, his breath…he'd returned from death.

Zelda turned her bright blue gaze towards the spring, gaping at the bubbling water as if it had something to do with this. She'd lost faith in the old gods long ago, and yet, in that moment she found herself a believer.

Slowly, her attention slid back to the man before her, and then towards the fading light in the sky. If this man had been given a second chance, she was clearly meant to make it a fighting one. She wasn't about to let another soul be lost to these woods.

As she began to assess the situation at hand, she took in his frame. He was well built, not much taller than her, but clearly in good shape. She assumed he was a farmer or ranch hand. Where he had come from, she had no clue, but she could only assume he was from a village nearby. He was going to be difficult to carry, but not impossible.

With a grunt, she got him to his feet, leaning his full weight on her. She fumbled to get a better hold on him, suddenly thankful for all the physical work she did for a living. After getting more comfortable with the dead weight against her, she glared in the direction of Ordon Woods. There was a bridge between them and the province, and then a decent walk from there.

This was going to be one hell of a journey.

* * *

Author's Notes: My apologies for taking so long on this chapter, and for any errors you may find! I've been trying to write a few chapters ahead before I posted again, and I haven't had much time to work. If you find any typos or have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know! I'm considering looking for a beta reader to help me crank out chapters faster, and ideally of better quality. If anyone has any suggestion for finding one, I'm all ears!

Hope you enjoyed the second chapter of Memories. We dove a bit more into Zelda's life in Ordon, while introducing a new face. The next few chapters will probably be posted relatively close together, as they will really tie up the story's beginning, and got us going on the main plot. I do hope you'll join me in the next installment.


	4. Chapter Three: Rescue

The chill of twilight set the sky in variants of melancholy and breathtaking purples. Had it not been that such colors foreshadowed something much more dangerous, Zelda would have enjoyed the view more. The last peek of the sun dripped over the waters far below her feet, dusk casting eerily beautiful shadows across the walls of the large ravine.

Zelda gripped the wooden railing of Faron Bridge tight, leaning on it for support as the man's unconscious body leaned on hers. Her eyes were sharp, zeroed in on her goal, the other end of the bridge and entrance to Ordon Province. Before her laid twenty or so feet more of bridge, and yet the longer she struggled to reach it, the farther it seemed. She could feel a growing ache in her muscles as she supported such heavy weight, and her progress was diminishing as night ominously crept closer.

She huffed, heaving herself and the extra weight another step, trying to find the fire within herself to keep going.

"Not much farther," she murmured, hoping to convince herself. One foot in front of the other, she slowly passed over the bridge. In her peripheral, the sunset in the ravine continued to sink and disappear. Triumphantly, she reached the last plank of wood, and carefully shifted the extra weight to push off from the railing. She fumbled a bit with her balance, before carefully stepping off the bridge into Ordon Province.

As if her first step triggered it, a distant but monstrous growl ripped through the air, sending birds flying into the sky some ways back in Faron Woods.

Zelda's entire body jolted in shock, and she whipped her head around to look for the source, inadvertently sending her off balance. She panicked, but it was too late as they both took a tumble to the ground. The man fell face down. Zelda had the wind knocked out of her first by the ground against her back, and then as the man's upper half slammed against her chest, trapping her to the earth.

She gasped for a breath, struggling against the weight as her eyes searched the other side of the ravine for monsters. Her legs flailed as if she was trying to skooch back, to put more distance between herself and the woods. It was all futile, of course, because of the body keeping her down. She eyed the tangled mess of blonde locks, the strands tickling her chin. If that fall hadn't awakened him, she didn't know what would.

She needed to keep moving. If anything, that incident had just proven how little time they had left. The woods around her were growing darker without the sun, and soon they'd be trapped in the shadows, perfect bait for monsters.

"Okay," she started hoarsely, placing her hand on the man's head. She absently pondered the soft texture of his hair as her immediate concerns raced through her mind, "I would really appreciate it if you woke up now, but that's very unlikely. So, I'm going to rough house you a little. I do apologize." She paused, stroking his hair in a comforting gesturing as she stared up at the crisscross of branches above her. "You can call me Zelda. Remember that, okay? Because I'm the one who's getting you out of these woods tonight."

With that said, her hand fell away from his hair and she wiggled her digits between their bodies, her other hand gripping his shoulder. With a violent shove, she threw him off her.

She was quick to assess his head as she sat up, making sure he didn't hit it on anything. Her fingers felt around his scalp, combing through his hair in search of blood. Everything appeared right, and so she gave his torso and limbs a quick look over for any injuries. Just to be safe. When all seemed well, she began the task of getting them both back to their feet. The task was much more arduous with her depleted energy.

As she continued to drag his body through the woods, she wracked her brain for a plan. Ordon's gate would be closing soon, if it hadn't been locked already. She hoped it wasn't, but if it was, she hoped the guard would take mercy on her and let her in. Some of them were stoic, but not completely heartless. Well…she had a lot of hope.

Her heart swelled as she neared the path to Ordon Spring, knowing that the village was not much farther. Everything had been peaceful since the bridge. She had not heard any other monsters. Perhaps the tales had been exaggerated. Certainly, she wouldn't say they didn't exist, because that guttural noise from earlier was nothing liked she'd ever heard, and she knew it was not an animal.

She decided she was just lucky tonight, and would not take that luck for granted.

With new fervor, Zelda pushed her aching body harder, and her heart soared when she spotted the flickering lights of Ordon. The path widened out into a clearing, one that was overgrown with bushes and gnarled trees. The largest, off to her left, grew strangely, a large open space inside the center, surrounded by branches that reached high towards the sky, some coming back together halfway up. Remnants of a small house still stood, supported by branches in some areas, while destroyed in others. What was once probably a beautiful home now looked like a cage. She supposed that was exactly what Ordon Village was, too.

The lanterns that lined the path up to the gate were lit, and so were the sconces that flanked it. Her heart fell. She found herself staring at the wrong side of the locked gate.

If she couldn't get in…her eyes glanced towards the old tree across the clearing, and then back to Link. She could climb up into it, but he would be left vulnerable on the forest floor.

She shook her head, and waddled with him over to a tree just out of sights of the gate, where she lowered him to sit against the sturdy trunk.

"I'll be back in a minute," she whispered.

She stumbled around the corner of the rock wall, letting the fatigue settle in, her eyes becoming half lidded as she fell against the wall for support. She forced a cough, exaggerating it with a haggard breath, her actual pains assisting her act to make it believable. The single guard on the inside of the gate heard her noisy arrival and had jumped into a fighting stance, his weapon readied as he whipped around to face the intruder. He appeared baffled by the sight of Zelda wobbling towards him. She collapsed outside the gate, coughing and gripping the metal bars for support. Her face was warm and pink from the laborious journey, and sweat still clung to her brow. That all helped her farce of illness.

The guard stepped back from the girl, as if scared that she might be contagious. He crouched lower to see her face better, eyes skewed up in uncertainty. Realization dawned upon his face, and his eyes went wide.

"You're the girl! Oh, Dominus will have my head if I let you die!" He looked around in a frenzy, unsure what to do.

She almost blew her façade with her shock at that statement, so she covered up the emotion with another coughing fit. Why would Dominus care about her life? She felt bile rise in her throat at all the possibilities, but swallowed it hard. She could use this to her advantage.

"Help," she said weakly, catching his eye. She rounded her shoulders, making herself look small and pitiful.

"I…" The guard glanced around warily, scanning the woods behind her. She realized what he was looking for.

"N-no monsters. Just sick." She coughed again, her body shaking a bit, "Please."

"Okay, okay!" He jumped, rushing over to the gates as she slumped further against them. As he unlocked them, she prepared herself for the impact of the ground. This would need to appear urgent.

As the gates creaked open, she let go of the bars and collapsed, gasping for a breath. The guard leaned over her, but her eyes fluttered shut. He reached to check for a pulse, but she gasped again.

"Get. Malina." She choked out. Malina was the daughter of the village medic, and the only one with extensive medical knowledge. She was also a friend.

"But the gate—" He began to protest, motioning at the opened doors.

"Now!" She wheezed. Who knew Zelda was such a good actress. She was impressed with her newfound talent.

The guard seemed to believe the urgency, and nodded, taking off in a sprint. Zelda stayed down, watching the man as he ran. When he was far enough away, she would run back out to grab Link and sneak him in. She would have to hide him somewhere safe before going back to her act. She only hoped that he would not awaken in a confused state before she could make her way back to him, or he risked getting run through by a guard. Or worse yet, getting thrown back outside the gates.

As she watched the shrinking outline of the guard, she heard a shout and saw Cole running up to her.

"Goddess, Zel! What happened? I was worried when you missed our meeting…" he fell to his knees at her side, hands all over as he assessed her for injuries.

Oh, Cole! His timing was so perfect she could have kissed him. Again.

He could take the boy to the safety of her house, and in much better time.

She sat up suddenly, startling Cole to no end.

"Cole, Cole!" She shushed him, "I'm fine. I need you to do me the biggest favor of a lifetime, and you need to do it fast." She gripped his arm hard, holding his gaze for a long moment. Bewildered as he might have been, Cole tried to focus. He could tell this was serious.

"Just outside the gate is a man. He's unconscious. I left him under a tree. He needs our help."

Cole appeared even more confused, so she hurried to explain.

"I found him half dead in Faron, and I couldn't leave him out there. I need you to take him to my house without anyone seeing. I need you to do this before the guard comes back with Malina."

"Holy Ordona! Zelda, what did you get yourself into?" Cole shook his head, still in shock. She squeezed his arm.

"Please, Cole. You must go now."

Cole took a shuddering breath, but nodded and stood. He looked out at the dark woods uneasily, before glancing down at Zelda's face. Something he saw must have strengthened his resolve, because he steeled himself and took off into the dark. Moments later, holding her breath the entire time, Cole came back into sight, carrying the unconscious man in his arms. Relief flooded her, and she breathed easy.

Seeing them together, Zelda confirmed that the man was probably barely a man at all, but closer to Cole's and her age. She caught Cole's gaze, finding him even more attractive in that moment. When this was all over, she would really need to tell him how she felt. This moment proved to her that she could always count on her best friend, and that she'd like to have a life with him that was more than friendship.

She smiled at him, a warm blush taking over her face. He grinned back despite the situation, and she rolled her eyes at his adorable goofiness as he bounded towards her. She waved him on, urging him to go.

"Get him safely to my place. I'll meet up with you later," she assured, her smile as warm as his, "thank you, Cole."

"Anything for you, Zel," he said, glancing down at the boy in his arms and then back to her, chuckling as she shooed him. He took off towards her house, and Zelda kept an eye out for the guard and Malina.

A few minutes after Cole had disappeared, the two came running into view. Zelda still sat up, but hunched over, her hands on her thighs as she took sharp breathes.

"Zelda!" Malina gasped, coming to kneel in front of her. She grabbed her face, tilting her head up so she could get a better look at the girl. The guard stood by them, facing the woods.

"Let me look at you. What hurts?" She demanded, confused at the lack of fever she was feeling as she touched Zelda's forehead.

"Everything!" Zelda gasped for dramatic effect, but she smiled at Malina, winking as she casted a quick glance at the guard over her shoulder. The guard was much too preoccupied with the horrors that may be out in the woods to notice the indiscretion.

Malina blinked, momentarily lost before understanding took over. She glanced at the guard warily, then back to Zelda, nodding sharply.

"It appears Zelda is suffering from a bad fever, but I'd like to get her back to her house before I try to examine her further."

"What? Oh, okay," the guard nodded, turning back towards them. He stepped forward to help Zelda up, planning to join them.

"No, no," Malina said, "you are needed here," she motioned towards the open gate, "you can lock up. I'll be fine to take her back myself. I'll come back later, to inform you of any other news that Dominus may need to know."

The guard nodded sharply, quickly returning to attend to the gate.

Zelda wrapped an arm around Malina's shoulders, and they made a show as she limped away with the young woman.

When they were out of earshot, Malina glanced at the girl with wide eyes and raised brows.

"What happened over there?"

"I had to fake being sick to get back into Ordon. The gate was locked when I came up." Zelda said matter-of-factly.

"Well, that was some convincing acting back there. The guard was frantic!"

"I know!" They shared a laugh before Malina sobered up.

"Why did you stay out so late? You know very well how dangerous it is out there."

They had passed over the bridge, the gate no longer in sight, and had released each other to walk normally. Zelda seemed to think long and hard about her response to Malina's question. It was a risk for anyone to know about this, but she figured Malina was as trustworthy as Cole, and her medical expertise may be useful in this situation. She had to weigh the pros and cons, because just having this knowledge would put Malina in danger.

Zelda decided, and nodded slowly. Malina eyed her the entire time.

"When we get to my house, you'll see for yourself."

Zelda's house was a quaint one, the largest room being the threshold and kitchen. The cozy living room was set into the back-left corner, and to the right was the only bedroom. Including the bathroom, there was only three rooms in the house, at least to the casual guest's eye. So, it was only logically for Cole to bring the unconscious boy to Zelda's room. He had laid him down upon her bed, not wanting to disrupt her grandmother's. While the bed was never used, Zelda always kept the bed neatly made.

He now sat on the edge, staring warily at the boy, watching his chest rise and fall as if he was just peacefully sleeping. However, he had shown no signs of regaining consciousness, despite having been jostled around. Cole's brow furrowed deeper, etching dark lines of worry between his brow.

The sound of the front door creaking open startled him from his thoughts.

"They must be in the bedroom," he heard Zelda murmur.

"They? Who's they?" Another female voice questioned, bewildered. Cole paused. The voice sounded like Malina, but he couldn't fathom why Zelda would involve her.

A moment later, both girls stepped through the curtains into the room. Cole caught Malina's confused gaze before her narrowed eyes traveled to the figure on the bed and widened immediately, the moonlight glinting off the blue pools that swam with trepidation. She gasped, covering her mouth with both hands as she did so.

"W-who is this hylian?" She stuttered, eyes refusing to leave the face of this stranger.

Cole met Zelda's grim look, an incredulous look on his face, "That's something I would like to know."

Zelda's frown deepened, and she placed a hand on Malina's shoulder to comfort her frightened friend.

"He…is the reason I was nearly stranded in the forest." She watched Malina face twist up in confusion, while Cole's twisted up into something…darker, perhaps? She didn't have time to study the look, but instead went on, "I took a trip out to the graveyard this afternoon, after I'd parted ways with you, Cole," she said, motioning a hand towards him, "I'd had some things…to work out." She met his eye, her cheeks warming as she recalled the conclusion of her visit. Cole broke away, his eyes shifting to the ground. Zelda couldn't be sure, but in the limited light filtering in through the window, she could have sworn his face looked flushed.

"I left a bit late, and on my way back, passing Faron Spring-" she paused, unsure if she should allot the mysterious details of his appearance. Pursing her lips, her eyes moved back to Malina, "I found him there, faced down in the water. When I pulled him out, he was cold. I could have sworn he was dead. I was planning on resuscitating him, but he began breathing on his own. He warmed up rather quickly."

"Hold on," Malina put up a hand, her expression wary, "you didn't perform life saving measures? None at all? And he went from drowned to breathing on his own?"

Zelda grew bashful at her sharp inquiries, feeling her heart race at being questioned, "Yes. I barely touched him. Before I could try anything, he coughed up water, and then…was breathing on his own. I didn't do anything."

"You pulled him from the water, Zelda. That's not nothing," Cole said, seeming in awe at her story. Malina still appeared unsure how to feel.

"So, he came back here with you, and then passed out?"

"No, actually. He never regained consciousness. He was breathing and warm, but no matter how hard I tried to wake him, he didn't respond. I couldn't leave him out there, I just…couldn't."

The room fell silent. Her friends seemed to understand without another word more. This was an atrocity none of Ordon wanted to see happen again, people falling prey to the monsters that lurked in their woods.

"Anyway, I dragged him back here. It took too much time, and the guard had already closed the gate, so I had to both get him to open it, and direct his attention away so that I could sneak the boy in. It was just sheer luck that you were there, Cole."

"This is…insane," Malina gaped, moving to take a seat at the foot of her bed. Cole was conflicted between appearing impressed and concerned.

"I know, and believe me, I wouldn't have involved you both if I could have avoided it. I know how dangerous this…"

"What Dominus would do to him, to us, if he found out!" Malina gasped at the thought, her train of thoughts a trail of horrors, "We don't even know anything about this boy! How would he have gotten into the province? He could be a bandit for all we know." She glanced pointedly at Zelda now.

Zelda felt the sting of those accusations, but shook her head, "I don't think so. Just look at him. The clothes he's wearing, the shape he's in, and he doesn't appear to have any major scars or tattoos. I could be wrong…but I don't think he's a criminal. I assume he's a ranch hand, or a farmer."

"But how? He clearly isn't from Ordon, and there are no other villages in the province," Cole stated, looking expectantly at Zelda for all the answers. None of which she had.

"Yes, which is why I think he could be from a village near Faron Province. How he got in, I don't know, but that's my best guess. I won't know more until he wakes up, but when he does…I'll know better how to help him."

"If he wakes, you mean," Malina said pointedly, "and you want me to give him a medical examination. That's why you brought me, isn't it?" She crossed her arms, eyeing Zelda. The girl in question sighed, nodding sadly.

"I would have gladly kept you out of this, and you, too, Cole. Unfortunately, Malina, you are the only one in the village with real medical knowledge."

"Aside from my father, you mean, and he is very unavailable, considering we haven't heard from his caravan in weeks," she stated, a frown darkening her fair face. Zelda shared the look, and nodded grimly. After a pause, Malina nodded, too. "Okay, I'm glad you came to me. This is no game, but neither is a life. I'll do what I can." They shared a smile, Zelda's one of relief.

"Thank you, I'll forever be in your debt for this. That goes for both of you," Zelda said, glancing at Cole.

He huffed, "You know I've got your back. Always." She caught his eye, her cerulean pools a swirl of emotions she couldn't express. She needed to have a private moment with Cole sooner or later.

"Okay, I'll need to go grab some supplies. I was in such a frenzy when that guard came to get me, that I dropped everything and ran. I'll be back in a few," she declared, getting to her feet.

Zelda and Cole stayed with the unconscious boy until she returned, and then were shooed out while she conducted a thorough medical exam. The pair settled in on the couch, Cole having worked up a small tinder in the fireplace.

Zelda brought her knees to her chest, watching the small flame grow stronger.

"I was very worried about you, you know."

"I know," she said, her eyes not leaving the fire.

"At first, when you didn't show at our spot, I thought you were avoiding me after…" he trailed off, and Zelda felt her cheeks warming, but not from the heat of the fire. Her eyes slowly turned to him. He was also staring at the fire, his face tinged dark with what she could only assume was embarrassment.

"Later," he continued, "when no one had seen you, I began to assume the worst. I had hoped that you were just so bothered by our moment that you had just went somewhere to hide from me. I figured that was probably the case."

"Excuse me, Cole, but you know I'm not one to tuck my tail between my legs and hide," she said flatly, glaring at him. He smirked, finally looking her in the eye.

"From feelings? Oh, Zelda, we both know you might not cower, but you definitely high-tail it when caught by emotions." She glared at his smug face a moment longer, before a laugh erupted from her, and she attempted to hide her smile by burying her face in her knees. His grin widened.

"That does sound like me."

"There's also the fact that I'm very, uh, inexperienced and sloppy, and I was sure that my lack of skill scared you away for good," Cole grew bashful, laughing awkwardly. Zelda stared hard at the fireplace, her face falling as her cheeks and ears became uncomfortably hot. She couldn't protest because her thoughts were far too focused on reliving the kiss in question. That was…sloppy, maybe, but lacking…well, she didn't have much to compare it to, but if her entire body's response had been worth anything, she'd have to say Cole lacked nothing.

She shivered at the memory, some primal part of her craving more. Cole must have seen her, because he grew concerned with her silence.

"Zelda…are you okay? Cold, maybe?" He asked uncertainly, reaching hesitantly for a blanket strewn over the couch.

"Hmm? Oh, no! I'm okay."

"Okay, but…are you?" He said, his hand falling back onto the couch with a plop, "Listen…I'm sorry. I was so caught up in my own selfish thoughts and desires, and I did something that upset you, and then because of that I didn't realize you were in trouble, and just was blinded by my own hurt feelings. I should have known something was wrong. I should have went looking for you."

Zelda looked at him, baffled, "What? No. Nothing is your fault. Everything turned out fine in the end. Besides, I stood you up, so of course you would be hurt." He didn't seem convinced, staring anxiously at the ground. She studied the lines of his face, his dark eyes, the flickers of light playing shadows across his cheekbones, and the subtle movement as he gnawed at the inside of his cheek. She wanted to reach out and wipe away the furrow between his brow, and tightness in his jaw.

Without a moment's thought, she crawled towards him, ending the distance between them. He whipped up to look at her in surprise, and she jumped slightly at the proximity of his face. She still wasn't used to someone being so in her personal space, but as much as it made her uncomfortable, she was curious to push these boundaries with Cole.

Catching him by surprise, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. Closing her eyes, she tried to deepen the kiss despite his immediate lack of response. Soon after, she felt his lips press back, and his fingertips grazed her arm up to her shoulder. A still unfamiliar spark lit in her, and she pursued the feeling further, forgetting her life completely in that moment and knowing only the feeling of Cole. Her head was beginning to spin, and she had to break the kiss suddenly to take a breath. She blinked, meeting his gaze. A smile was forming on his lips, and as she breathed heavily, she could still feel his own dusting her face.

"Ah, it did upset me, I think," she stuttered breathily, "the, um, kiss." Cole's face fell slightly before she could continue.

"It did?" He murmured, confused by her conflicting words and actions.

"Yes…" she struggled to speak, caught in his gaze, still intensely close to him. "But, uh, not in a bad way. In a way I'm just-just not used to…" she mumbled, her eyes finally turning downcast, growing shy and uncharacteristically lacking for words.

"Oh," he breathed, understanding dawning his expression, "Oh!" Zelda glanced up in time to catch a surprisingly dirty look on his face. He reached up to hold her face in both hands, silver blond locks tangled in his digits as he pushed them back. Leaning closer still, his lips barely touching hers, she was caught frozen in his gaze, unable to breathe.

"So, Zel," he breathed, "you thought it was hot." He brushed his lips against hers as she processed that. Her entire body grew warm with embarrassment. She shoved him away lightly, slapping him on the shoulder hard.

"No! It was gross and your saliva was all over my face, and you tasted like you've been making out with goats for practice," she huffed, crossing her arms and scooting away from him indignantly. Her face felt hotter than any fire.

Cole howled with laughter, "You know, Zel, that might have hurt if I believed you! Too bad I've seen what kind of dirty faces you can make," he said triumphantly, leaning closer to try and steal her affections. She wasn't having it, leaning away and refusing to look at him.

"I've made no such-"

"Zelda!" Malina called frantically from the bedroom. Light thumping sounds could be heard as she ran out from the room, "Something's happening. I need Cole to hold him down. Now!"

They both shot up from their seats, making a dash for the bedroom.

Zelda gasped upon entering the room. The boy was shaking violently, and thrashing about. His eyes were still closed shut, his face skewed up in pain. He was breathing heavy, and whimpers escaped his lips between gasps.

"Cole, hold him down!" The man hesitated for a moment before jumping in. He had to wrestle with the boy. There was some shouting. Malina was trying to speak to him, and Cole was yelling at him to stop, despite the fact that he could not hear. Zelda flinched when the crack of a hit landed, sending Cole to the ground. He held his nose, cursing the goddesses.

After the shock wore off, she ran to Cole's side, but he brushed her off, getting to his feet.

"I'm fine. This guy is a lot stronger than he looks."

Malina was trying to calm him still, while avoiding thrashing limbs.

"Malina? What's happening?" Zelda could hear the shaking in her voice, and she tried to steel her nerves, but every gasp and sudden movement from the boy shook her more.

"I don't know! I thought he was seizing at first," she sucked in a breath, jumping out of the way of some more violent thrashing, "But this-this is not that!"

Zelda's eyes were glued to the scene. She couldn't breathe. He seemed to be in so much pain. His face contorted even more, his fair cheeks turning red hot. That's when the screaming began and they all shrunk back from the horrific sound, eyes wide.

Malina looked frantically at them, "We need him to stop. Now!" She reached for his legs, narrowly missing a knee to the gut, Cole jumped to action, working to pin his arms and torso down. Zelda could see every muscle in their bodies straining to contain the boy's strength, and the screaming intensified, a heart wrenching sound that left her stomach in her throat.

"I-I think you're hurting him!"

"Shut him up!" Malina yelled.

Zelda breathed shakily, uncertain about what to do. Finally, she jumped onto the bed, sitting over his thrashing head. She tried to grab him, hold him still, but it wasn't working. She forced a hand over his mouth, but he kept moving, his face slick with sweat. He was soaked with it, his face and hair dripping.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry," she gasped, finally grabbing a fistful of blond locks violently and clasping a hand over his open mouth, scared he might rip his own hair out or bite her. The pain…she couldn't even begin to imagine what he was feeling.

He continued to scream into her hand, her nails digging into his skin to hold him there.

She could hear Malina and Cole's voices, but the words didn't register. Her eyes were locked on his face, the way his body shook, and as he seemed like he was about to break, she felt something inside her breaking with him. Perhaps she had forgot to breath, because she was beginning to feel lightheaded, her vision darkening around the edges, but all she could do was stare in horror at the face she clawed at. She couldn't do it. She was going to let him go, release him from the extra pain she was causing.

His raw screams somehow grew louder, still muffled by her palm, and then much to her surprise, his eyes shot open as he strained against her hands. She must have gasped, and Cole and Malina's concerned expressions inched closer to trepidation, but she couldn't see anything but deep blue. Deep blue pools darkened by intense fear and pain. His pupils were dilated, and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and he had popped a blood vessel in his right one.

Zelda saw all this, but she could only focus on the blue. The blue that was so shocking, and so terrifyingly clear. So expressive that she could very nearly feel the fear he was feeling, and that made her nauseous. She gagged a little, swallowing hard as she shut her eyes, unable to look at him any longer. Rocking slightly, her grip on him loosened, and he continued to thrash a moment more. Slowly but surely, he began to calm, his screams quieting to a whimper and then to nothing.

Slowly, she peeked her eyes open. His face was still contorted in pain, but the tension was fading slowly. His eyes were unblinking, staring wide at the ceiling, tears streaming from the corners. Zelda could nearly see the light fading from his eyes, as if his very soul was leaving.

"Oh my goddesses, no!" She breathed, beginning to panic. She whipped her head up, staring pointedly at Malina, "He's dying! We have to do something." She was freaking out, looking around for something, anything to save him. Malina and Cole only stared, shocked. "What are you doing? Save him!" Zelda was growing hysterical.

She gripped the boy's now still face, looking deep into his eyes, searching for something there. "Don't die. You can't. Stay with me, please-" she choked, her tears dripping onto his still face. There seemed to be no life left in him. "Oh, goddesses-" she held back a sob.

"Zel, Zelda, hey," She hadn't felt or seen Cole get up, but now he was by her side, pulling her off the bed into his arms, "shh, it's okay." She shook her head as he held her close to him. "No, it is. He's still breathing, it's okay. He's not dead."

She turned her head to look at the boy, cheek pressed tightly to Cole's chest as he held her.

"What?" She squeaked, still not understanding. The boy's chest rose and fell, completely normal. "B-but-" she had seen the life literally fade from his eyes, she had watched him die. She knew it, and yet when she looked back at his face, his eyes were now closed. Lost, she looked at Malina for answers, but Malina only looked back at her with the most heartbreaking expression, she looked just as lost and scared as Zelda, only all those emotions were aimed at her, and not the unconscious boy. It was like she had just watched Zelda die, which made no sense.

She stared back at Malina, unmoving, as the lights slowly come back on in Zelda's brain. Ah, of course Malina was looking at her like that. She had witnessed a very troubling emotional breakdown, coming from Zelda of all people. Yes, that expression made a lot more sense now.

In attempt to gather her remaining dignity, she pulled away from Cole, and wiped her face.

"Can anyone explain what just happened?" She said sharply, feeling both of their eyes burning holes into her. She felt the need to clarify, as she could feel they were looking for her to answer that one. "About the boy, I mean. Malina, what was that?"

The silence was beginning to grate on her nerves, but Malina finally moved, siting back on the bed with an exhale.

"I have no idea."

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, there you have it! Cole and Zelda's relationship is progressing quickly, while the new stranger is only getting stranger, and Zelda seems to have a odd attachment to the fellow. I'll probably take a little longer to get the next update done, as that will probably be two chapters. I hope you'll join me for those! Let me know what you think, and if there are any errors you find.


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